San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain adjusts hit cap after giving up at three-run home run to San Diego Padres' Adrian Gonzalez during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

San Diego Padres Drew Macias, right, is congratulated by teammate Nick Hundley after Macias hit a solo home run during the third inning of a baseball game on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

Remember his Aug. 20 start against Florida, when he was on a tear and one out away from evening his record at 8-8? A lot has happened to him since then, all of it bad, the worst coming in an 11-3 drubbing by the Padres on Thursday night that ensured Cain (8-12) will finish with a losing record for the second consecutive year.

The Padres batted around in the first inning and scored five runs against Cain, three on the first of two Adrian Gonzalez home runs. In fact, the Gonzalez brothers had themselves a game, with Edgar hitting the family's third homer in the eighth inning against Kevin Correia.

The Pads had six hits in Cain's second-worst inning of 2008. Aside from a bunt single, all were spanked.

Cain's shortest start of the year ended after 31/3 innings and six runs allowed, a shocking turn for a pitcher who allowed seven total runs over his previous six starts at Petco Park. Pat Misch allowed Adrian Gonzalez's second home run and Correia was blasted for four runs in the eighth in his return to relief.

The sum was a blowout loss to one of the two worst teams in the majors, no way for the Giants to end a five-game win streak and start an 11-game trip.

"I'm embarrassed by the way I pitched. I'm embarrassed for the team," Cain said. "I feel I let them down. With the things we've been doing the past week, I didn't come out here and perform."

Something has happened to Cain in the waning days of summer. Over 11 starts from July 1 through Aug. 25, he had an ERA of 2.33 and seemed to be gathering steam for a strong finish. Over his last three starts, he has allowed 15 earned runs in 15 innings, a 9.00 ERA.

The first question must be whether Cain's league-leading pitch total of 3,301 is taking a toll.

Cain does not believe so, saying, "I feel fine. I feel healthy. I'm not making pitches. I'm leaving pitches over the plate and it's costing me."

"We're in September here," Bochy said. "He's been a workhorse. Every pitcher goes through it. If you look at other staffs, other pitchers, this is the time of year you may show some signs of it. You learn to pitch in these situations where you may not have your best stuff."

The Giants gave Cain a 1-0 lead in the first inning with singles by Nate Schierholtz, Pablo Sandoval and Rich Aurilia. But that advantage disappeared amid the glare of lasers the Padres hit in the bottom of the inning.

Will Venable, the son of long-ago Giant Max Venable, started with a double. After a bunt single by Luis Rodriguez and a sharply hit RBI single by Brian Giles, Adrian Gonzalez smashed a high fastball into the right-field seats for a three-run homer, his 30th. Four batters in and Cain was down 4-1. The Giants could not recover.

Eugenio Velez stayed hot with a run-scoring triple, following the greatest double-clutch performance by a Giant in 50 years. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Velez was the first Giant with game-ending hits in consecutive games since Darryl Spencer did it on April 23-24, 1958, the team's first month in San Francisco.

Otherwise, the Giants did little to strike fear into Josh Geer (2-0) in his third big-league start.

Gillaspie is one cocky 21-year-old. He said, "I made contact and got down the line pretty good. Hopefully they'll throw me in there the next couple of weeks, maybe a couple of starts. I think I can play as good as any of these guys up here. That's why I'm up here."